Horror in the Small Valley ic

[Heavenblade]

I believe my tactical value will be at itd height before we attack. I think that it will be best for me to try and sneak up on the one that seemed like the leader, give him a nasty surprise and try to take him down.

[Dimers]

Aranyel considers that. "I would say, wait until the first round of cannonballs has stopped flying. Oh, goodness, how are we going to stop this ship to unload ourselves and gear and horses? Snowfang, you may need to fly ahead and throw us a line."

He taps his chin. "I think it's a sound plan, Lief. If they stay at range, we can keep up cannonfire, and if they close with us, Sasha's breath and our holy power should quickly whittle down their numbers. I hope."

[Yas392]

Lief nods.

"Then, the plan is settled. Long range, harass with cannons, darkness. Close range, turn undead, Sasha breathing on them. Snowfang, on his own, ambush the leader when their troops are on us and this ship. Is this right or do we have any last minute changes to the tactics?"

Spoiler: Initiative

Show

Initiative: (1d20+5)[9]

[dangelo]

The river gets wider to the point it makes some sort of pond before narrowing back down. You're in the heart of the Owl Heights, miles away to the north of the the traditional Narrow Path, supposedly the only way to (costly) cross that mountain range. Everywhere you look there are large gray rocks building up rough cliffs that tower around the slithering river like giant claws. Only the bravest trees and bushes dare to grow there, and even then, mostly by the riverside. The air gets colder and the wind blows faster as the sloop approaches the village.

"There!" One of the ghouls yell, pointing at the ship. "They're here! Go tell the chief we'll be ready to leave!"
The soldiers are not the brightest, but damn, are they synchronized. Five of them immediately volunteer to handle the ropes, quickly getting everything ready to welcome their allies back to the shore. One of them runs off to the village center to give the chief the good news while the other six get ready to help Crackjaw and Bonecutter unload the crates.

Then a thunder hits the earth, or at least that's what it sounded like for the soldiers.The poorly built pier explodes in a cloud of dirt, planks and bits of ghoul. The cannon rolls back from the recoil, almost taking Aranyel off balance, and the smell of powder fills the air. The second cannon goes off immediately by the hands of Sasha, hitting the other panicking group of ghouls.

Before the ghouls could even pick up what the hell was happening, the attacker's silhouettes suddenly get swallowed by a supernatural field of pure darkness. The idea of darkness they can't see in frightens the undead a bit.

Chaos in the village. Snowfang, lurking through the bushes, sees exactly the moment where the chief hears the explosions. He doesn't hesitate.

"You two, go get the others by the wagon. The rest of you, GO NOW. Bloodsucker, put them in formation and shoot. WHY ARE YOU NOT RUNNING, OR DO YOU WANNA LOSE YOUR LEGS." He shouts commands with his rattling, disgusting undead voice, and soldiers run around making sure they'll be followed. He's quickly left alone and is now hustling towards his large, brown horse.

---

This was your surprise round. Combat will follow group initiative.

On his first round, the Ghoul chief moves up to his horse and tries to mount as a free action and ride away (Snowfang will need another stealth check to get him before he joins the battle if he does).

The ghouls will pick up the weapons they have at hand, the versatile short spears, the cheap, deadly standard weapon for any base unit. They'll throw them at the party with a -2 penalty due to extended range.

[Heavenblade]

META
initiative

Spoiler

Show

(1d20+2)[22]

[Cygnia]

*whistles innocently*

Spoiler: Incoming Initiative Is...

Show

(1d20+3)[19]

[Dimers]

Aranyel jumps down to the pier and quickly secures the sloop, anxiously glancing over his shoulder at the spear-wielders. Their throws pepper the side of the ship or simply splash into the river, though, courtesy of Lief's darkness.

[Cygnia]

Meanwhile...

The young woman's ears were ringing and her already dry throat was now caked in smoke and dust. She was dimly aware of someone shaking her.

Just let me die...they can't hurt me --use me -- anymore if I'm dead. Great Pelor, grant me final peace...

"Siovhan, Siovhan -- wake up!"The dirty cloth used as a blindfold was finally pushed off her face and Siovhan Rhal found herself staring into the frantic gaze of Hanja. "Lord of Light, someone's firing on the village -- this could be our chance to escape. Give me your wrists, girl, quick!"

"W--what?" Siovhan croaked weakly. But Hanja was already working her ropes free. Siovhan noticed the older woman's bonds hand been sawed apart by a newly splintered plank of wood.

Which led to a battered gap in the wall that she was sure hadn't been in the shed when they first had been imprisoned. Siovhan rubbed her wrists, trying to get some feeling back in her arms. Her heartbeat thundered as her fingers unconsciously twitched, the sounds of battle echoing harshly all the while.

Calling to her.

Hanja roughly grabbed Siovhan by the shoulders, pushing her out the hole. "...we need to run, girl! Pelor willing, whatever is happening right now will hide us--" Hanja swallowed, steeling herself. "--but prepare yourself. You may need to use your..."

It remained unspoken. The fear alone spurred Siovhan to move with Hanja now.

[Yas392]

Lief, in his persisted darkness, moves and fires the remaining loaded cannon at the bunch nearest to Aranyel.

Spoiler: Cannon Damage

Show

Cannon Damage: (3d12)[12]

[Heavenblade]

Meta

Spoiler: dice

Show

Rolling here ti. Stealtth, if it works Illedit in my action - noting that due to shirt of wraith stalking they cannot notice me
Hide
(1d20+6)[8]
Move silently
(1d20+6)[17]

[dangelo]

The villagers come out from the wagons where they were being held, freeing each other from their shackles with haste.
"We were blessed! It is our chance!" A woman says, pointing at the wisp or road that leads out of the village and into the rocky woods.
"Our Old Father has sent help!" Many of them say. "We must not waste our chance! This is good!"

The road is tempting. The villagers are talking about finding shelter in the monastery, which involves a long pilgrimage through the mountains. "If we leave now, we might reach the Lower Lake before sunrise." It was, if the elderly and children didn't get tired before that.

Two young adults (around 15 years old), a lad and a girl, volunteer to stay. "We'll fight, too." They say, inspired by the heroic explosions brought by the ship. "And we'll join you in the monastery should Father keep us alive after today."

(Cut)

Inside the darkness sphere, Aranyel and Sasha have only a distorted notion of what's happening outside. Enemy war cries become faint muffled whispers in the shadows. The loud bang of the cannon going off doesn't echo inside the shadows but rather fades quickly into them. Even so, the binder aims the cannon precisely at the nearest troops without hesitation, his blue eyes somehow piercing the curtain of shadows.

Without a warning, about ten bolts come flying through the air across the sphere of darkness. The projectiles rain over the ship like a wave, the deck now covered in bolts and spears. The adventurers throw themselves behind cover.

[Heavenblade]

Silent and deadly like the night, snowfang stalks as a
large bat, inisible to the eye. He releases an ear piercing below, the ghoul will inly hear it while it is at its peak. He shifts into a large wolf mid-flight and tries to give a malicious bite to the unliving horror, after gaining momentum from his dive, and tries to leave as deep a cut as possible in its undead skin.

Meta
Move action to get skirmish
Using swift action to shift

Spoiler: rolls!

Show

Attack
(1d20+11)[18]
Damage
(5d6+12)[30]

[Cygnia]

As the two villagers eagerly volunteered to stay behind to fight, Siovhan shook her head. "No, you need to g--"

Hanja already cut in. "--you two need to help me find any equipment those bastards may have taken from us and hopefully left behind, else the others will be sitting ducks on the road. Can't fight a bone bag without a proper weapon!" The spark of the adventurer's soul glinted in the older woman's eyes. "Siovhan, you need to stop those ghouls, help whoever's firing on them!"

"I--I can't!" Siovhan looked terrified, shuddering at her own hands as if they were infected. "...it's unholy, Hanja!" Her wild gaze darted towards the shadow cloud on the river. "...what if we're not being saved? What if it's something worst?!" Memories of La Caldera and their sickening grins crept into her mind...

"Siovhan, I know you're scared -- but you are not going to be damned for helping us! Trust me, girl -- you're the only one who can do anything right now. We need you. Believe in Pelor and He will believe in you."

Siovhan blinked.

Then nodded. The young woman was obviously still scared as she called on certain powers. The air shimmered around her and her eyes took on a black hue. Then, she began to run after the two ghouls as a greenish glow surrounded her hands.

And fired at the nearest undead.

Spoiler: Rolls

Show

(1d20+8)[27]
(3d6+1)[7]

[Yas392]

Lief asks Sasha to help him load the cannon before he fires at the first bunch again. He keeps the dwarven cleric updated on the position of the ghouls and the distance to it. If he is hurted bad from the arrow that hit him, he will spend an immediate action activating healing devotion (Giving him fast healing 2 for 1 minute) on himself.

Spoiler: Cannon Attack

Show

Cannon attack: (3d12)[29]

[Dimers]

Trusting his ally's description better than his own occluded sight, Aranyel summons Pelor's holy power. From the ghouls' perspective, it must seem like all the light Lief's sphere ate up suddenly comes pouring forth in a terrifying wave -- far too close to evade and blessedly difficult to withstand.

Spoiler: turning undead

Show

Charisma check (d20+2)[12], HD affected (2d6+7)[10]

EDIT: That can turn 7-HD creatures, so 3-HD ghouls get destroyed instead. Not many of them, though.

[dangelo]

The ghouls' aim was sharp, but still far from enough. The cannons lay waste on the pier and the archers blow up with the rest of the docks. The other ghouls fall back, but many of them break formation and route.

Further away into the village, the ghoul chief is thrown off it's horse by a large wild wolf who pounces at him, coming out of the shadows in a long leap. They roll on the floor exchanging blows, the chief trying to avoid the wolves claws and teeth by grappling with the beast. The ghoul is strong and agile, but Snowfang manages to leave deep cuts on it's arms and face. It tastes like what it is, a walking diseased corpse.

"Beast of nature! Let go of me!"

While the chief is too busy to give orders, the backup ghouls see the wolf and stop running towards the shore, instead rushing to aid their captain. One of them is shot in the back by Siovhan's magic and almost falls on it's knees.

The pier is clear and the ship is secured. The rest of the villagers followed the instructions given to them.

[Yas392]

As the ship drifts to the pier, Lief turns to Aranyel.

"Go, Aranyel! Aid Snowfang!"

Lief again asks for Sasha's help to reload the cannon, wincing as he spies an arrow lodged on his shoulder while continue supplying the dwarf cleric with information of the surrounding as he moves. The masked councillor finds at the best spot that can catch the majority or all of the backup ghouls with one fell swoop without catching the transformed Snowfang in the radius and fire.

Spoiler: Cannon Damage

Show

Cannon Damage: (3d12)[21]

[Dimers]

Mired in darkness and the chaos of battle, Aranyel isn't quite sure where Snowfang is now, but he moves forward to try to find out. The sounds of combat ahead might give a clue.

[dangelo]

Aranyel leaves the darkness area as soon as he reaches the shore. He runs a distance of 40 feet. and manages to engage with the ghoul chief and snowfang. He's still 20 feet away from the chief and Snowfang.

Spoiler

Show

In the next turn you may join the grapple maneuver with an attack. You can attack the chief running the risk of hitting Snowfang by mistake.
Both the chief and Snowfang are flat-footed for everyone outside of the maneuver. They can attack with light weapons or unarmed. They can't make attacks of opportunity.

[Cygnia]

Lord of Light, guide my aim! The ghoul was wounded -- but not permanently put down. Siovhan tried to push aside her terror at being potentially swarmed by the undead. Hanja and the others were depending her.

...ohhhh, but you could FLY, little one. Leave these mewling sheep to the abbatoir... The voice in the back of her head -- it sounded like Siovhan, but more rough and gravelly. Like after a bout of forever screaming.

Like rage made flesh.

Siovhan shook her head frantically, trying to focus on finishing off one of the slavering undead before they could go after her. Another greenish blast fired towards the ghoul on his knees....

Spoiler: Actions

Show

(1d20+7)[8] EB
(3d6+1)[11] Dmg (if hit)

5ft step away from the incoming ghouls.

[Heavenblade]

Snowfang tries to shake himself free of the ghoul's grasp, biting around madly and twisting like a wild beast.

Spoiler: grapple check

Show

(1d20+11)[22]

If I make it, shapeshift into a bird as a swift and fly to the ceiling

[dangelo]

The ghoul chief gets up swiftly, wiping black blood from it's face and making it look even worse. Snowfang's teeth and claws left deep cuts across the creature's ugly face, but this ghoul is a raging warrior.

It draws a thick arming sword and charges at Aranyel, screaming horribly at his face.

Between this battle and the wagons, the remaining ghouls pick up spears and shields and enter pike formation, determined to keep Siovhan from joining the others. Three of them are flung into the air by a cannonball, leaving half a dozen soldiers trying to stay in formation while being bombarded by the ship.

[Cygnia]

Distracted by her doubts, the shot went wide. Siovhan gritted her teeth. If the ghouls were able to surround her, there would be no escape and any chance the villagers had would be gone.

Leave them...fleefleeflee...

...never...

Siovhan would not abandon Hanja and the others.

But that didn't mean she had to wait for the walking corpses to reach her.

Her fingers flexed and wings of shadow sprouted from her shoulders. Then she rose straight up into the air...

Spoiler: Actions

Show

Activating Fell Flight
Move: 30ft up

[Yas392]

With a stable routine of Sasha's reloading the cannons, Lief does not stop with firing cannonballs, firing another at the remaining six undead underlings that are trying to prevent their formation from scattering by created dust cause by the previous cannonball that landed near them.

Spoiler: Fire in the Hole!

Show

Cannon damage at the six undead: (3d12)[34]

[Dimers]

Aranyel stumbles back from the crushing blow and retaliates with a spell. "Sun's vengeance, fiend!"

Spoiler: mechanics

Show

5-foot step back out of the chief's reach, then cast deific vengeance. The chief takes (6d6)[21] damage, Will save DC 15 for half.

[Heavenblade]

Snowfang growls from.above and lands back on the chief, trying to strangle him with sharp talons, like what he did to him mere moments ago.

Spoiler: mechanics

Show

Move action

Grapple
- touch attack
(1d20+10)[18]
Grapple check
(1d20+10)[20]

[dangelo]

The ghouls that managed to avoid the last cannonball falls to this one. The whole squad blows up in a cloud of dirt, smoke and debris. The battlefield is covered with undead bodies and broken spearshafts, pieces of equipment splattered with black blood.

The chief fights fiercely, but it's efforts are not enough. Debilitated by Aranyel's divine powers, he even manages to draw his secondary weapon, a light axe with which he defends himself, but he's quickly overwhelmed.

Despite being a fine warrior, the chief is eventually pinned down by the party. The soldiers are down. The battlefield is secured. The chief is still un-alive, but stopped fighting before you destroyed it. Snowfang is standing over it, his large teeth hanging a few inches above it's horrendous face.

The villagers slowly begin to come backn it will take a while since they ran as fast as possible. The lad and the girl who decided to stay hug each other and Siovhan when it all ends.
"Siovhan... who are those?" She rapidly whispers. "Foreigners and shapeshifters... Please, be careful."

The group eventually meets around the chief. Lief notices the creature's pale skin. Aranyel sees it's larger claws. Snowfang knows how hard it's skin is. This is a ghast, no doubt, the party locks eyes in a shared understanding.

But why is it not stinking? Ghasts were supposed to stench. Actually, all these ghouls are favoring armed fighting, instead of using their claws and teeth. They still have the toxin in their bodies, so they soak their weapons in their spit - that's how Aranyel could've been paralyzed - but they seem to differ from "regular" ghouls and ghasts in a few aspects.

[Cygnia]

"...we trust in Pelor..." Siovhan said it for her own assurance as much as the girl's.

Steeling herself, she tentatively approached what she hoped was their rescuers. Her fingers again twitched by her side.

"Strangers, we thank you for saving us! But who are you? Are any of you hurt?"

Spoiler: Rolls

Show

Invoking Beguiling Influence
(1d20+3)[10] Know: religion (what's up with the ghouls and ghast?)

[Yas392]

After the threats are neutralized and his allies keeping the chief at bay, Lief turns off his darkness, descending to the pier with Sasha to the captive and the girl who helped in their efforts.

"There is time for formalities later. If you want an apt description, we are reinforcements to deal with the undead. But first, I do believe we have questions for the instigator of this event."

Shifting his gaze from the girl and his allies to the undead chief, the masked man stares at the undead Snowfang pinned.

"So who sent you? What are their intentions for this village?"

[dangelo]

It looks Lief in the eyes, genuinely surprised. Than it suddenly laughs, a terrible breath coming up from it's mouth.
"You will never know."
"We might've failed here today, hunter, but this is not the end, no it isn't." The chief says. "The other lieutenants are on the move. You can't expect to stop us. Go home and hide, for sooner or later we will come." It grunts, even managing to smile.

At least this was still true to what they knew about undead. Having nothing to lose, this kind of beast will not hesitate to sacrifice itself without giving any answers. However, it still kept talking. It has... ego. It has an accent. It still knows what it knew before dying of ghoul fever, certainly some skilled battlefield warrior in their prime.